Whereas, many of Vermontís first settlers were dairy farmers having journeyed to the Green Mountains with their cows, and

Whereas, the original dairy farms were very small, primarily serving the needs of a single family, and

Whereas, technological innovations, including refrigerated rail cars, automated milking machines, and, more recently, bulk tanks each spurred the growth of dairy farms, and enabled them to vastly improve their efficiency,

and

Whereas, the typical Vermont dairy farm, of which there are currently 1,565, covers 217 acres, and

Whereas, there are over 160,000 dairy cows in Vermont, including the Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Guernsey and Ayrshire breeds, and

Whereas, the average Vermont dairy farm has 90 cows, and each cow typically produces 16,800 pounds of milk per year, and

Whereas, Vermont dairy farms annually produce more than 2.5 million pounds of milk, their primary commodity, and

Whereas, according to the New England Agricultural Statistics Service, the cash receipts for all Vermont agricultural commodities in 1999 were $542,000,150.00, of which 76.2 percent or $413,028,000.00 was from milk receipts, and

Whereas, according to the Vermont Department of Agriculture, Food and Markets, the ripple effect on Vermontís economy from milk production annually totals between three and four billion dollars, and

Whereas, milk is a nutritious beverage that is comprised of essential vitamins in larger quantities than in most natural foods and nutrients, and

Whereas, one eight-ounce glass of milk contains 30 percent of the calcium, 20 percent of the riboflavin, 16 percent of the protein, 13 percent of vitamin B-12, 11 percent of the potassium, 10 percent of the niacin, and eight percent of the magnesium recommended as the daily allowance, and

Whereas, milk producers add vitamin A to reduced-fat milk and vitamin D to all milk to ensure that their customers do not miss these essential vitamins in their daily diet, and

Whereas, while the fat content in whole milk is only 3.25 percent, those individuals who prefer a lower fat content in their milk, can purchase reduced and nonfat varieties, and

Whereas, the vitamins naturally contained in or added to milk are excellent sources for preventing such diseases as beriberi and rickets, and

Whereas, the state and federal standards for milk production require an extremely high level of cleanliness, and

Whereas, the pasteurization of milk kills pathogenic or disease-producing organisms, and is another bulwark ensuring the highest level of quality, and

Whereas, milk is truly a beverage that is ideal for health conscious Vermonters, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly is proud to support the efforts of Vermont dairy farmers to produce a beverage that is both nutritious for individuals, and essential for the continuing economic prosperity of Vermont, and be it further

Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Leon Graves, Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Vermont Dairy Promotion Board, all district, union and supervisory union superintendents of schools, the PETA organization in Norfolk, Virginia, and the members of the Vermont Congressional Delegation.